12 October 2017HRH The Duke of York officially opens the Forces Media Academy

Anthony Bart-Appiah is one of fifteen service leavers and veterans who have embarked on a new media career at the state-of-the-art Forces Media Academy.

Anthony is studying for a Higher National Certificate (HNC) Media Production Course at the Academy, which is run by the Services Sound & Vision Corporation (SSVC).

The facility was opened yesterday by The Duke of York, who is Royal Patron of SSVC. He spoke to the students during a tour of the Academy.

He said:

“To provide a course like this, for either retiring or leaving veteran service personnel, is absolutely second-to-none. There are a number of media organisations in this country, who are looking for additional skills…They are looking for core skills of resilience, the ability to be able to deliver work unsupervised and to be able to get on with things in a way that the servicemen and women can do.”

Anthony who served for five years in the RAF said:

“Meeting The Duke of York will be my greatest memory from the course. He had extensive knowledge and understanding of what it is that we do here at the Academy and an appreciation and apathy for service leavers and veterans.”

RAF veteran Anthony Bart-Appiah (second from left) speaking to the Duke of York

The Forces Media Academy is providing ex-service personnel with the training, experience, and qualifications they need for future careers in videography, digital, TV or radio. The students have been selected for their aptitude and passion for the media and come from a diverse range of services, ranks and backgrounds.

Forces Media Academy Director, Alistair Halliday, said:

“It’s been a great opportunity to share our vision with His Royal Highness, our military guests, and our friends in the media industry.

“Our aim is to grow the Forces Media Academy and build a world-class learning environment for service leavers and veterans, enabling them to have successful careers in media after their time in the Forces.

“At SSVC we cover all areas of broadcasting, so we can create bespoke courses where our Academy students learn in a live media environment alongside full-time professionals.”

The Forces Media Academy is open to anyone who has served, whether in the Regulars or as a Reservist. And personnel with an aptitude for and keen interest in media can now apply for the September 2018 intake if they are in their last year of service.

The free HNC course has been funded by the Chancellor’s LIBOR Fund. The Forces Media Academy’s principal charity partner, The Royal British Legion, has also given each student an £18,000 bursary to assist with living costs.

The Royal British Legion's Director of Operations, Antony Baines, said:

"The Forces Media Academy is an innovative project that builds on the existing and highly transferrable skills of those who serve in HM Armed Forces, to help further their Civvy Street careers. The Royal British Legion is eagerly following the first cohort’s progress, and we are proud to provide bursary funding to make the course accessible to as many future media professionals as possible."

For more information and to apply for the course in September 2018, go online to forcesacademy.com.